妙法蓮華經玄贊 4.273

4.273

The Commentary says: The sixth section below contains seven verses, which versify the previous first [topic], 'causing those who have not heard to hear.' It is divided into four parts: two verses set forth four rarities in terms of the Dharma; two and a half verses use parables to reveal two rarities; one and a half verses exhort faith; and one verse praises and concludes. This is the first.
First, the appearance of a buddha is rare; second, the preaching of the Dharma is rare; third, it is rare that it is difficult to hear; and fourth, those able to listen are rare.
As for the appearance of a buddha being rare: as with the thousand buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa, in the present ninth kalpa of abiding four buddhas have already appeared; later in the tenth kalpa Maitreya Buddha will appear; up to the fifteenth kalpa nine hundred and ninety-four buddhas will appear. After this kalpa is destroyed, the Buddha Huluozhi alone will reign for one kalpa. After twelve kalpas pass, the Nakṣatrakalpa will begin; among its thousand buddhas, King Śuddhaprabhāsa Buddha will be the first to appear; and later three hundred kalpas will pass in vain without a buddha. Therefore, a buddha is rare.
As when Kāśyapa Buddha lived for seven days without preaching this Dharma, and when the present Śākyamuni took forty years after attaining buddhahood before preaching this sūtra, preaching is rare.
One constantly dwells in the eight difficulties and can hardly encounter a buddha, so it is rare that it is difficult to hear.
Although one encounters the sun emerging, one still listens to the Hinayana and does not aspire to the Great Dharma, so those able to listen are rare.